Tivo/Netflix Revelations

So my foreign film watching has escalated ever since I found out you could instantly watch Netflix movies on Tivo.

You can start watching and pause and go on with your life and eventually get around to watching a full movie. Nice to know when you've got kids.

Here are a couple films I found.

Without the King (Swaziland) -- There aren't a lot of Swazi films out there.

My Brother is an Only Child (Italy) -- Still proud to say I brought this to Fort Worth for the film festival two years ago.

Paprika (Japan) -- Better on the big screen.

Kontroll (Hungary) -- Haven't been able to watch yet.

Academy Awards: Foreign Language Nominees Announced

Two of our Sister City countries received nominations for their film entries in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Germany's "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex" (The Baader Meinhof Complex) and Japan's "Okuribito

おくりびと" (Departures) received nominations. Other nominees were France's "Entre les murs" (The Class), Austria's "Revanche", and Israel's "Vals Im Bashir" (Waltz with Bashir).

"Waltz with Bashir" is playing in Dallas at the Angelika.

The rest, we'll have to wait to see.

Mexico submitted "Arrancame La Vida" (Tear This Heart Out). The film made the semifinals, but failed to make the final cut. Italy submitted "Gomorra". As far as I can tell Indonesia had no submission, which is sad because the country is one of only six to receive three or more nominations over the last decade. Controversy has plagued the Indonesia film selection process over the last couple of years.

Academy Award Update

Submissions for Best Foreign Film are due to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scienes by Oct. 1.

So far 21 submissions have been announced and the submissions from three of our seven Sister City countries are in.

Germany has submitted “The Baader Meinhof Complex” (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex) directed by Uli Edel. The film stars

Hungary has submitted “Iska’s Journey” (Iszka utazása) directed by Csaba Bollók.

Japan has submitted “Departures” (Okuribito)directed by Yojiro Takita. 

Mexico is considering 11 films to represent the country: Arrancame La Vida, Cochochi, Cumbia Callera, Déficit, Dos Abrazos, El Viaje de la Nonna, Familia Tortuga, La Zona, Lake Tahoe (film), Partes Usadas and Quemar Las Naves.

AMPAS awards the Best Foreign Language Film to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. The diaglog, however, does not have to be the native language of that country. An AMPAS committee reviews submissions and generally narrows the list of submissions by late fall. Then nominees will be announced Jan. 22, 2009, with the winner announced at the Feb. 22 awards ceremony in Hollywood.

 

Edge of Heaven in Center of Dallas

Fatih Akin's Lola Award-winning film has rolled into Dallas at the Angelika. The film was Germany's nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, edging out one of my favorites of 2008 -- "Four Minutes." 

I haven't seen "Edge" but Star-Telegram film critic Christopher Kelley told me at the time that this was a film worthy of accolades. 

Akin is no stranger to the award circuit. "Edge of Heaven" received the best screenplay award at Cannes 2007 and he previously was recognized at Cannes for his film "Head-On."

So head on over to the Angelika this weekend and check out Akin's latest.

Trailer

Edge of Heaven 

Directed by : Fatih Akin

From the director of Head-On andCrossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul.

Nejat initially disapproves of his widower father Ali`s choice of prostitute Yeter for a live-in girlfriend. But the young professor warms to her when he learns that most of her hard-earned money is sent home to Turkey for her daughter’s university studies. After Yeter`s accidental death, Nejat travels to Istanbul to search for Yeter`s daughter Ayten. Political activist Ayten has fled the Turkish police and is already in Germany. She is befriended by a young woman, Lotte, who invites rebellious Ayten to stay in her home, much to the displeasure of her conservative mother, Susanne. When Ayten is arrested and her asylum plea denied, she is deported and imprisoned in Turkey. Passionate Lotte abandons everything to help Ayten. A tragic event brings Susanne to Istanbul to help fulfill her daughter`s mission.

Winner – Best Screenplay Award, Cannes Film Festival 2007.
Winner – Best Screenplay Award, European Film Awards 2007.
Winner – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing 2008 German Film Awards (LOLA)

Hungary Wins Tax Breaks

Last year I wrote a lot about Hungary's efforts to pass tax breaks for film production and the impact it would have on the booming studio business, particularly in Budapest.

Well those breaks passed the final hurdle recently with EU approval.

John Nadler's article in Variety gives the full story.

Tax breaks set stage for Hungary
Local industry to benefit from ECC approval
by John Nadler

BUDAPEST -- After months of uncertainty the Hungarian film industry
breathed a sigh of relief following a recent European Commission (EC)
decision to approve its tax-incentive program.
Industry insiders admit there was concern the EC might not ratify an
amended Hungarian Film Law passed in June because of its tax scheme.


But Brussels surprised Hungarian producers by ratifying the 20% rebate
contained in the original law, and ordering Budapest to extend tax
incentives to include costs incurred by productions while shooting outside
Hungary.


"Frankly, I think the new scheme is an improvement," says Andras Simonyi,
chairman of Korda Filmstudio, Hungary's largest studio complex, located
just west of Budapest. "In this competitive world, the expanded incentives
(of national and foreign tax deductions) are a good combination."

El Orfanato

It's been months since I last posted -- I feel like this is a confessional.

While on a vacation to Miami recently, I pursuaded my wife to watch 'El Orfanato' the Spanish film with a connection to Del Torro that I haven't quite figured out.

Anyway, my wife can't stop talking about it and recommending it.

It's a great film, out on DVD now.

It's in the vein of old thriller movies. Not bloody and not hokey. A great, enjoyable film.

So check it out.

Academy Award nominees announced: Where are my selections?

Academy Award nominations were delivered today with an odd result for foreign films. The awards will be Feb. 24 and Sister Cities will host a watching party at the Shamrock on West Seventh Street in Fort Worth, located between the Cultural District and Downtown.

After pouring over films the last year in preparation for the Fort Worth Sister Cities Film Series, I thought I was becoming an expert. So what do I know?

The films I thought were shoe-ins for nominations based on buzz and previous awards were bypassed in the category – although some did receive nominations in other fields.

None of our Sister City countries faired well in the nominations – and I still think Germany would have been better served to have entered “Four Minutes” into the competition rather than “Auf der andere Seite” (The Edge of Heaven).

Best Foreign Language Film nominees are: “Beaufort” from Israel, “Die Fälscher” (The Counterfeiters) from Austria, “Mongol” from Kazakhstan, “12” from Russia and “Katyn” from Poland.
I had assumed that Romania's Palme d'Or winner “4 luni, 3 saptamini si 2 zile” (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) and France's animated hit film “Persepolis” would have made the final cut.

The nine films that made the cut to the semifinals included Austria's “Die Fälscher” (The Counterfeiters); Russia's 12; Italy's “La sconosciuta” (The Unknown Woman); Poland's “Katyn”; Serbia's “Klopka” (The Trap); Romania's “4 luni, 3 saptamini si 2 zile” (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days); France's “Persepolis”; Spain's “El orfanato” (The Orphanage); Germany's “Auf der andere Seite” (The Edge of Heaven); Brazil’s “O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias” (The Year My Parents Went on Vacation); Kazakhstan’s “Mongol” ; Israel's “Beaufort “and Canada's “L'age des ténèbres” (Days of Darkness).

In other categories French Edith Piaf biopic “La môme” (La Vie en Rose) had three nominations: for Best Actress (Marion Cotillard), Best Makeup and Best Costume Design. The France-USA “Le scaphandre et le papillon” (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) had four nominations, including a Best Director for Julian Schnabel, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. “Persepolis”, another France-USA film was nominated for Best Animated Feature.